Russian police detain two activists ahead of G8

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, July 8 (Reuters) - Russian police has detained two female activists from a radical group as they met to hand over leaflets about this month's Group of Eight summit, a representative from the radical group told Reuters.

Police detained the two activists from the Vanguard of Red Youth, a radical Russian Marxist group, in St Petersburg yesterday as they met to hand over a large number of leaflets with information about globalisation and the July 15-17 G8 summit, to be held in the city.

''They were detained this evening by the police in the centre of town,'' Maxim Malyshev, commander of the local Vanguard of Red Youth group, told Reuters. ''They were set to give out the leaflets next week and to put them up around the city.'' The leaflets explained where sanctioned meetings would be held and the nature of the summit, Malyshev said.

Police were unavailable for comment last night.

Russian police are expected to keep a tight rein on any protests against the G8 summit, where President Vladimir Putin will host world leaders such as U.S. President George W. Bush.

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